The study, which is based on a national survey of approximately 15,600 people between the ages of 18 and 39, including almost 250 who reported having a parent who had had a same sex partner, claims that adult children of people who have had same-sex relationships were more than twice as likely as children from heterosexual homes to have problems with anxiety and depression.

Not only that, but the study also suggests that children of same-sex relationships were also more likely to be raised on public assistance, living on public assistance, less likely to have a full time job, less likely to have voted in the 2008 election and more likely to be less educated.

“The empirical claim for no differences between being raised by heterosexual and homosexual parents has to go,” says study leader, Mark Regnerus.

The outcome of a person’s well-being seemed to be more affected as a result of being raised by lesbian parents – particularly when you include factors such as gender and race, parental education, perceived wealth, whether or not they had been bullied and how gay-friendly their state was.

According to the study, adult children raised by lesbian mothers were not only more likely to cheat on their own partners, smoke marijuana and get arrested, but also more likely to have been sexually abused by a parent or caregiver.

Although Regnerus’ study is much larger and complete than previous studies which suggest there is “no difference” in those children raised in conventional families than those raised by gay couples, the study is under scrutiny because critics claim the reports are morally skewed due to study research being financed by two organizations with a socially conservative slant.

While Regnerus contends that he is not out to demonize gay parents, many of his critics and supporters both agree that “these findings -- and for that matter, any social research findings -- should not be used to restrict the civil rights of any group of individuals.”